On March 7, Fordham raised $1,444,835 during its 6th annual Giving Day.

Giving Day is an opportunity for alumni, and other Fordham community members, to donate towards various departments within the university.

In 2021, Fordham University raised nearly $1.3 million dollars in donations.

The theme decided for this year’s Giving Day is “Every Gift Counts.”

“I think [the theme] is a great reminder to anyone who is considering donating but is apprehensive about the type of commitment the university is looking for. 66% of gifts through Giving Day 2021 were less than $100,” said Finley Peay, FCLC ’20, the philanthropy chair for the Young Alumni Committee.

“Giving Day is focused on the number of people who give at Fordham, not the amount they give. We hope to reach a goal of 1,841 donors, honoring Fordham’s founding year of 1841,” said Elaine Ezrapour, GSAS ’18, director of the Fordham Fund. The donor can decide where the funds they donate will go. According to Ezrapour, donors are encouraged to donate to the parts of the university where their passions lie.

Additionally, there are various Giving Day “challenges” that alumni and others can donate to. If initiatives reach specific amounts of money, the donations will be matched by others.

“Each year the Young Alumni features a specific fund, this year we are featuring the new LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund,” said Peay.

According to Peay, the LGBTQ+ Student Wellness Fund, which will launch on Giving Day, is aimed at helping to develop “a more welcoming and inclusive experience” for Fordham’s LGBTQ+ student population.

Other funds at the university include the Ailey/Fordham BFA in Dance Challenge, the Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program Challenge, and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Challenge.

All these separate funds will direct aid to different areas within the university.

For this year, Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee worked to advertise Giving Day by sharing their own experiences at Fordham.

“We asked alums to share a little bit about clubs, organizations or areas of the university that were important/meaningful to them during their time as undergrads to demonstrate the broad range of areas to which alumni can donate.
Additionally, we wanted to highlight that donations can be as specific as necessary, targeting areas and funds of interest for each alum,” said Peay.

According to Peay and Ezrapour, Giving Day serves as an opportunity to show support for the university. For many, it serves as a way to give back.

“Giving Day gives us all an opportunity to consider what parts of Fordham mean most to us and allows us to help continue the legacy of these areas of the university for future Rams. Donations always matter to the university, to research, to programming, to students, but Giving Day gives us just an extra special opportunity to recognize the breadth, strength and passion of the Fordham community,” said Peay. The donations help to propel and support Fordham years into the future.

“When donors participate in the tradition of giving on Giving Day, they join a worldwide community of alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends, who ensure a great Fordham experience for current and future students. Every gift — no matter the size — makes a difference,” said Ezrapour about the tradition.